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While the majority of previous scholarship on Augustine’s theology has treated his references to rhetorical concepts as incidental, Robert Dodaro (2004), Michael Cameron (2010), Mark Clavier (2014) and Adam Ployd (2017), have recognized recently that Augustine incorporated sundry aspects of rhetorical theory into his theology in a consequential manner. In this article I advance this new scholarly movement in two ways. First, I show that Augustine also used rhetorical theory in a consequential manner in his early theology of creation; I argue that Augustine utilized the rhetorical concept of economy (oeconomia) as the logic justifying God’s declaration that the completed creation was “very good” (Gen 1.31) by means of a close reading of De Genesi aduersus Manichaeos 1.21.32. Secondly, I combine my findings in this article with previous research to contend that future scholarship on Augustine’s theology should treat his references to rhetorical concepts as potentially consequential. While the majority of previous scholarship on Augustine’s theology has treated his references to rhetorical concepts as incidental, Robert Dodaro (2004), Michael Cameron (2010), Mark Clavier (2014) and Adam Ployd (2017), have recognized recently that Augustine incorporated sundry aspects of rhetorical theory into his theology in a consequential manner. In this article I advance this new scholarly movement in two ways. First, I show that Augustine also used rhetorical theory in a consequential manner in his early theology of creation; I argue that Augustine utilized the rhetorical concept of economy (oeconomia) as the logic justifying God’s declaration that the completed creation was “very good” (Gen 1.31) by means of a close reading of De Genesi aduersus Manichaeos 1.21.32. Secondly, I combine my findings in this article with previous research to contend that future scholarship on Augustine’s theology should treat his references to rhetorical concepts as potentially consequential.
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